VIP culture has been present since a long time in Pakistan and at a lot of occasions it has proved to be toxic for the general public.

The traffic at times would be stopped for an hour or even more, just to clear and secure the way for people like politicians. It does not matter if there is an ambulance stuck or a person is running late. And often, people other than politicians also travel along with protocol and that is too no less of a problem for common people on the roads. Many a times, cars are made to slow down around any so-called important personality by the armed guards or forcibly made to give way.

And despite the fact that how wrong this VIP culture is and how people disapprove and deplore it due to the mayhem it creates on roads, many all the same feel helpless in the face of this culture. Trying to oppose it at the particular moment means to put your life at risk.

Back in 2010, there was a woman who gave birth in a rickshaw in Karachi as she was stuck in traffic due to a VIP movement. Likewise, in 2015, a 10-month-old girl Bisma passed away as she could not get to the hospital because Bilawal Bhutto was present there due to the inauguration of Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre.

Nevertheless, on Monday evening (July 2 2018), an activist, a lawyer and an independent candidate of the upcoming general elections, Mohammad Jibran Nasir was directed to give way to the SHC judge’s car and not adhering to their signal, he was taken in by the judge’s protocol on Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman Road in Clifton, Karachi.

It was only after the judge got to know who the person taken in was, Jibran Nasir was asked to leave.  

However, Jibran Nasir refused to spare them and at the police station, he refused to leave until or unless a petition was filed against the judge and he demands for an ‘explanation’ for this unethical behavior. 

At Frere Police Station, as stated, he was “assaulted and arrested by a protocol for not giving a VIP the way on the road”.

The duty of the escort team is to protect a person, not to attack an innocent man on the road.

Later in his live video on Facebook, he also claimed that he has nothing against the person who assaulted him because after all, it is not his fault or any other person in his position but in fact it is the atrocity of the ones who train them to be this way, who order these people to exploit the general public.

He tweeted, “I don't want any suspensions of poor officers who abused me I want Judge to explain his authority under which I was beaten & dragged away in security vehicle.”

He added, “Only after media came I was allowed to go. But I want to know my crime. Why was I beaten up and brought here.”

He also stated that the cruelty he faced is the reflection of the cruelty faced by the youth of Karachi, by the people of Pakistan who are picked upon and pushed around.

Jibran Nasir taking this step against the VIP culture is the reawakening of the realization that how if one does not have the support of the people, is not in the limelight, is not an influential personality, he or she cannot avoid the monstrosities of the elite, the VIP culture.

This is just one story that has been able to gain attention of the general public after quite some time as a notable person was a part of this incident. And that is the very reason why this victim of the VIP culture’s exploitation was let go. We do not know that how many more innocent people go through this brutality every single day and are beaten up without any valid reason or explanation.

So when will this culture end?

When will our general public stop getting harassed and treated as mere inferiors in the hands of the VIP who move around like gods?

It is an issue that has always been raised and is raised once more.

Once more we have an opportunity as a nation to rise against this mafia, this enormity that has openly been preying on the innocent people and no action has ever been taken averse to it.